Cedric’s body had barely settled into the centre of the circle of arcane symbols when a new notification popped up in Qing's view.

Qing's eyes widened.

Quest Update: Magdalus the Redeemed has stepped onto the Fields of Fallen Grace with her army.

You are underleveled.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the challenge ahead. The demon general had arrived, and not only was he underleveled, but they were cut of from reinforcements.

"Everyone, gather round," Qing called out, meeting Knut and Ghida's gaze, his voice carrying across the camp. Ruqiya, and the two army captains rushed over.

"We've got a problem," Qing said. "The demon general, Magdalus the Redeemed is here. I got a notification she has entered the Fields of Fallen Grace with her army." He quickly summarised the quest details, watching as his companions' expressions shifted from worry to determination.

"There's three parts to the quest. First is to defeat or avoid the army." Qing looked to Cedric's fallen form. "With our resident wizard out of action, I'm betting they know where we are. Which means hiding is not an option."

He paused, letting that sink in before continuing. "There are two optional objectives. First, if I can gather intelligence on Magdalus and her forces we should get the The Astral Sage’s Attire." He nodded at Ghida and Ruqiya. "The last objective is for me to defeat Magdalus the Redeemed in one-on-one combat. But, at my current level, I-"

"Qing!", Morgana burst into the camp, Jenny following right behind. Morgana's eyes were wide with fear.

"Qing!" Jenny said, grinning like a child who's been given a life-size chocolate rabbit for easter and is about to commit bunnycide. "The army... it's massive!"

Morgana nodded, her face pale. "Thousands of demons, Qing. All shapes and sizes."

"Flyers?" the Elrydisan captain asked.

"None that I saw," Morgana answered, "but I don't think it'll matter. Its a damn army!"

Jenny continued, grinning. "The foot soldiers... they're unlike anything we fought in Shadowgrove or the Gilded Hold. As tall as me, many's even got more'n two arms or legs!"

Knut reached out, pulling Ruqiya tight to him.

"Some have weapons fused to their bodies," Morgana said, and Jenny nodded. "And they've got some kind of siege beasts... they're like walking fortresses of bone and flesh."

"Did you see their general?" Ghida asked, handing Morgana a drink.

She nodded, wine trailing down her chin, while Jenny answered.

"She's a big bitch," the barbarian said. "Black armour with demonic bone. And broken wings."

"Just some remnants," Morgana added. "But they leave a trail of darkness."

"You said no flyers!" the Kaelorian captain said.

"If she can fly, it's not cause of the wings. They're like twigs on her back," Jenny said. "But, she's kind of hot. In a half-scorched, hollow kind of way."

"Weapon?" Qing asked.

"A glaive," Jenny said. "Big one. Bigger'n yours." She smirked.

"How long do we have?" Ghida asked.

"Half an hour?" Morgana said, looking to Jenny, who nodded.

They retreated to the command tent, sending ten men to reinforce the gap, with orders to hold until they arrived, with a fighting retreat if needed.

Qing saw fear etched on the faces of his gathered companions. Understandable. While he had gone through… parts of hell, they had been here, fighting a few skirmishes. This would be their first true contact with the enemy, and the tension felt this as they huddled around Ghida's makeshift map of the area.

Knut was the first to speak, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "While our current position is defensible, our supplies won't last long under siege. And that is if we are able to hold them at bay in the chokepoint."

Ruqiya leaned forward. "What if we seal off the entry and block ourselves in?"

Jenny scoffed, shaking her head. "They might not have flyers now, but no way they'll sit out there twiddling their four thumbs." She glanced at Knut, before adding, "Your Majesty. We need to hit 'em hard and fast. Take out Magdalus. Maybe the rest'll flee then."

Ghida placed a hand on Qing's arm. "If we could reopen the portal, even for a moment, we could call for reinforcements. There must be a way."

Qing licked his lips. "If I had Cedric's guidance, I'd try. But look what happened to him. If I am knocked out we won't stand a chance," he said, gently caressing her back. "Sorry."

The Zylphadian captain saluted the queen, and said, "We'll stand and fight to a last man, my queen."

The Kaelorian captain huffed. "Holding here is suicide. Leave three men to care for the wizard, while the rest of us head out and eastwards. Hit-and-run tactics is the only way to deal with the overwhelming enemy."

"You can't outrun demons," Captain Thundershield said, stalking into the tent, throwing a bright smile at his daughter who scowled at him. "You don't have the sails, captain. No. We've got to stay in our cove and look for a miracle. A miracle called-"

"Get out," Morgana said. "You have no say in this!"

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"All I am saying, my dear daughter, is-"

Morgana's crossbow appear in her hands, and she aimed centre mass. "Qing?"

"Yes?"

"If I shoot to shut him up, would you heal him after?"

The captain rolled his eyes. "Always with the drama. Now, more than ever, do you need every able bodies person. Nor can you afford to waste Qing's mana."

Knut placed a hand on the crossbow, gently forcing it down. "Please, Morgana. Kill him later."

She glared at her father. "Fine."

"But we can't just sit here and wait to die!" Jenny said, slamming her fist on the table.

"And charging into an army of demons is a better plan?" Ruqiya snapped back.

The captains were practically at each other's throats. "Hole up here? Your cowardice will doom us all!" the Kaelorian roared.

"Better a live coward than a dead fool!" the Zylphadian said.

Ghida tried to restore order, but her voice was lost in the cacophony.

Qing stepped away from the arguing group, his mind racing. The cacophony of voices faded into the background as he considered his options. He'd faced the Alchemancer, and survived, but through deception. Magdalus looked to be closer to Qing in level, but a duel? A risky bet at best, suicidal at worst.

If he could funnel the demons into the chokepoint, maybe he could kill them until he levelled up enough to close the gap. But what if he was overrun? Or if Magdalus entered the fight early, ending him before he had a chance?

His thoughts turned to the quest to forge the Soulfire Crucible and save Cedric. Perhaps that should take priority. With Cedric's help and the portal reopened, they might stand a chance against Magdalus and her army.

All they had were fifty soldiers plus his companions, versus a demon army over a thousand strong, with a demon general. The defensible position was their only advantage, allowing them to face only a few demons at a time. That, and Qing's mobility and his new spells.

Maybe…

An idea struck him. Qing's eyes widened, and he turned back to the group, their argument still raging.

He clapped his hands together, sounding like a gunshot, and they all turned to look at him. "I have a plan."

As Qing outlined his plan, his companions' faces transformed.

Morgana exploded, "Are you out of your fucking mind? That's the most bat-shit crazy, suicidal plan I've ever heard! You might as well bend over and ask the Devil to—"

"Morgana!" Ghida interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Qing, I... Is there no other way?"

Knut cleared his throat. "It's risky as hell, but... I see the… logic? If it can be called that? Doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

"Oh, come on!" Jenny said, grinning from ear to ear. "This is brilliant! When do we start?"

Queen Ruqiya spoke with her eyes closed. "May the gods protect us all."

Captain Thundershield just grinned. "Damn, Qing. With those balls, you'd 'ave made one fine pirate."

* * *

As Qing strode out of the camp, his footsteps echoing through the narrow defensive path, he reviewed his stats. He'd allocated all thirty-six attribute points he'd gained grinding in the Demon Hatchery, one into strength, two into dexterity, just to round them off into whole numbers. He'd been tired, and it seemed a good idea at the time, sleep-blinking across the Howling Expanse. Then he'd done thirteen into vitality, and twenty into intelligence.

He checked his character screen.

Attack Power: 1396

Defence: 1450

Health: 540

Mana: 1050

He'd considered setting the skills then too, but he had been too tired, and afraid of making bad decisions.

Nine skillpoints. A damn treasure trove. And I've got two level five skillbooks. Definitely using them.

He brought up the skill trees and the level five spells he considered.

From Spiritwarden, there was one.

Spiritwarden Spell: "Astral Shower" (Celestial)

Summon a barrage of star beams in an area, damaging multiple enemies and leaving patches of scorched earth that damage over time.

Cost: High Mana

Cooldown: Long

The continuous damage from the scorched earth effect could help thin out demon hordes. Depending on the damage, it might also be useful for area denial. But how many beams in a barrage, how high damage, or how large were the patches?

Warborne also had one skill he considered. A potential game changer.

Warborne Skill: "Unstoppable Fury" (Ability)

For a limited duration, your abilities have no mana cost or cooldown, allowing for rapid spell casting.

Cost: Ninety-five percent of max mana

Cooldown: Extremely Long

It was the kind of ability that could turn the tide of a desperate battle. With it, he could unleash barrages of spells to overwhelm almost any enemy. But the extreme cost made it a last resort. If he used it to fight Magdalus he had to be certain it would end the fight, or he might be left vulnerable afterwards. And again. How long was 'limited duration'?

The elemental tree had two interesting spells.

Elementalist Spell: "Blizzard" (Ice)

Summon a fierce ice storm in a large area, dealing continuous ice damage and slowing enemies caught within its frigid winds.

Cost: High Mana

Cooldown: Long

An ice storm in Hell seemed fitting. Especially considering his boots, and the crowd control capabilities.

The next one had a smaller impact, but…

Elementalist Spell: "Elemental Beam" (Elemental)

Channel the power of a chosen element into a piercing beam that deals high damage to all enemies in a line, penetrating through multiple targets.

Cost: Medium Mana

Cooldown: Medium

This was what Wazir and Cedric had used to battle, he was sure of it. With this he could scythe his way across the battlefield, swapping the element depending on enemies' weaknesses. He'd nearly taken it while travelling back, but caution had stopped him.

Because the arcane tree had two serious contenders.

Arcanist Spell: "Spell Weaver" (Arcane Enhancement)

Enter a state of perfect arcane attunement, allowing you to combine any two spells you know into a single, more powerful effect for a limited time.

Cost: Very High Mana

Cooldown: Very Long

This could be a game-changer. Combining spells could create effects he'd never imagined. In games, this was always a no-brainer. But it was only for a single spell at high cost and long cooldown. He'd need to choose the right moment. Maybe pairing a defensive spell with an offensive one for a perfect counter-attack? The possibilities were exciting, but he'd need to practice to unlock the potential. And time to practice was not something he had now.

Sometimes the easiest thing was to simply blow things up.

Arcanist Spell: "Supernova" (Arcane)

Unleash a massive area-of-effect explosion that ignores physical armor, dealing devastating arcane damage to all enemies caught in the blast.

Cost: Very High Mana

Cooldown: Very Long

If not for Magdalus, the spell would be perfect for destroying armies of demons. And he'd be lying to himself if he didn't at least acknowledge the want for a good fireball. And this was to the fireball what a fireball was to a lit match.

The forty-nine of the camp's fifty-four souls walked behind him in a line, with three waiting outside, and one staying with Cedric.

Their faces were grim, but determined. The soft clink of armour and the rustle of weapons being readied.

Qing had to make the choices now.

A luxury problem is still a problem.

But, he had committed to his plan, and that left two obvious choices. He selected the spells, feeling knowledge settle into him.

Then he added a point into Iron Will, the level three Warborne ability.

Warborne Ability: "Iron Will" (Protection)

When activated, the caster becomes resistant to magical damage for a brief period. Additionally, each magical attack received reduces the cooldown of other abilities.

Cost: Medium Mana

Cooldown: Long

That left him with six points, all of which he put into one of the level five spells for a total of six skill points.

This had better work.

His plan was risky, but it was the best one he could come up with. The weight of responsibility pressed down on him, but he refused to let it show.

Qing's eyes hardened as he approached the opening, and the Fields of Fallen Grace stretched out before him.

Then he saw Magdalus and her army.

"Oh, shit."